diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost.c b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
index d52d34fe1..943c2b6b3 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ spdk_vhost_session_mem_unregister(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 
 }
 
-static void
+void
 spdk_vhost_free_reactor(uint32_t lcore)
 {
 	g_num_ctrlrs[lcore]--;
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ spdk_vhost_dev_get_cpumask(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev)
 	return vdev->cpumask;
 }
 
-static uint32_t
+uint32_t
 spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask)
 {
 	uint32_t i, selected_core;
@@ -1025,7 +1025,6 @@ stop_device(int vid)
 
 	spdk_vhost_session_mem_unregister(vsession);
 	free(vsession->mem);
-	spdk_vhost_free_reactor(vsession->lcore);
 	vsession->lcore = -1;
 	assert(vdev->active_session_num > 0);
 	vdev->active_session_num--;
@@ -1101,14 +1100,11 @@ start_device(int vid)
 	}
 
 	spdk_vhost_session_set_coalescing(vdev, vsession, NULL);
-	vsession->lcore = spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(vdev->cpumask);
 	spdk_vhost_session_mem_register(vsession);
 	rc = vdev->backend->start_session(vsession);
 	if (rc != 0) {
 		spdk_vhost_session_mem_unregister(vsession);
 		free(vsession->mem);
-		spdk_vhost_free_reactor(vsession->lcore);
-		vsession->lcore = -1;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
index 5507afa71..f615564e2 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_blk.c
@@ -719,8 +719,18 @@ out:
 static int
 spdk_vhost_blk_start(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
-	return spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_blk_start_cb,
-					     3, "start session");
+	int rc;
+
+	vsession->lcore = spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(vsession->vdev->cpumask);
+	rc = spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_blk_start_cb,
+					   3, "start session");
+
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		spdk_vhost_free_reactor(vsession->lcore);
+		vsession->lcore = -1;
+	}
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -779,8 +789,17 @@ err:
 static int
 spdk_vhost_blk_stop(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
-	return spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_blk_stop_cb,
-					     3, "stop session");
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_blk_stop_cb,
+					   3, "stop session");
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	spdk_vhost_free_reactor(vsession->lcore);
+	vsession->lcore = -1;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
index 6ef7acbfb..38adf850d 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_internal.h
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ int spdk_vhost_session_send_event(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession,
  */
 void spdk_vhost_session_event_done(void *event_ctx, int response);
 
+void spdk_vhost_free_reactor(uint32_t lcore);
+uint32_t spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(struct spdk_cpuset *cpumask);
+
 void spdk_vhost_lock(void);
 void spdk_vhost_unlock(void);
 int spdk_remove_vhost_controller(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev);
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c
index 4ee377773..44c407e27 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_nvme.c
@@ -1106,14 +1106,24 @@ spdk_vhost_nvme_start_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 static int
 spdk_vhost_nvme_start(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
+	int rc;
+
 	if (vsession->vdev->active_session_num > 0) {
 		/* We're trying to start a second session */
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("Vhost-NVMe devices can support only one simultaneous connection.\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	return spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_nvme_start_cb,
-					     3, "start session");
+	vsession->lcore = spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(vsession->vdev->cpumask);
+	rc = spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_nvme_start_cb,
+					   3, "start session");
+
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		spdk_vhost_free_reactor(vsession->lcore);
+		vsession->lcore = -1;
+	}
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1196,8 +1206,17 @@ spdk_vhost_nvme_stop_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 static int
 spdk_vhost_nvme_stop(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
-	return spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_nvme_stop_cb,
-					     3, "start session");
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_nvme_stop_cb,
+					   3, "start session");
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	spdk_vhost_free_reactor(vsession->lcore);
+	vsession->lcore = -1;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
index e3ca65db5..c4756cf0a 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ struct spdk_scsi_dev_vhost_state {
 struct spdk_vhost_scsi_dev {
 	struct spdk_vhost_dev vdev;
 	struct spdk_scsi_dev_vhost_state scsi_dev_state[SPDK_VHOST_SCSI_CTRLR_MAX_DEVS];
+
+	/* The CPU chosen to poll I/O of all active vhost sessions */
+	int32_t lcore;
 } __rte_cache_aligned;
 
 struct spdk_vhost_scsi_session {
@@ -1217,14 +1220,7 @@ spdk_vhost_scsi_start_cb(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev,
 	int rc;
 
 	svsession = to_scsi_session(vsession);
-	if (svsession == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Trying to start non-scsi controller as a scsi one.\n");
-		rc = -1;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	svdev = to_scsi_dev(vdev);
-	svsession->svdev = svdev;
+	svdev = svsession->svdev;
 
 	/* validate all I/O queues are in a contiguous index range */
 	for (i = VIRTIO_SCSI_REQUESTQ; i < vsession->max_queues; i++) {
@@ -1266,14 +1262,36 @@ out:
 static int
 spdk_vhost_scsi_start(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
-	if (vsession->vdev->active_session_num > 0) {
-		/* We're trying to start a second session */
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("Vhost-SCSI devices can support only one simultaneous connection.\n");
+	struct spdk_vhost_scsi_session *svsession;
+	struct spdk_vhost_scsi_dev *svdev;
+	int rc;
+
+	svsession = to_scsi_session(vsession);
+	if (svsession == NULL) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Trying to start non-scsi session as a scsi one.\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	return spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_scsi_start_cb,
-					     3, "start session");
+	svdev = to_scsi_dev(vsession->vdev);
+	svsession->svdev = svdev;
+
+	if (svdev->vdev.active_session_num == 0) {
+		svdev->lcore = spdk_vhost_allocate_reactor(svdev->vdev.cpumask);
+	}
+
+	vsession->lcore = svdev->lcore;
+	rc = spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_scsi_start_cb,
+					   3, "start session");
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		vsession->lcore = -1;
+
+		if (svdev->vdev.active_session_num == 0) {
+			spdk_vhost_free_reactor(svdev->lcore);
+			svdev->lcore = -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1339,8 +1357,22 @@ err:
 static int
 spdk_vhost_scsi_stop(struct spdk_vhost_session *vsession)
 {
-	return spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_scsi_stop_cb,
-					     3, "stop session");
+	struct spdk_vhost_scsi_session *svsession;
+	int rc;
+
+	svsession = to_scsi_session(vsession);
+	rc = spdk_vhost_session_send_event(vsession, spdk_vhost_scsi_stop_cb,
+					   3, "stop session");
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	vsession->lcore = -1;
+	if (vsession->vdev->active_session_num == 1) {
+		spdk_vhost_free_reactor(svsession->svdev->lcore);
+		svsession->svdev->lcore = -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void